As South Carolina regulators consider a developer’s brownfield clean-up proposal as part of a new shopping center, Beaufort County officials pulled their piece of the planning process off Wednesday’s meeting agenda.

The county’s natural resources committee was scheduled to take up the development agreement for Georgia-based Jaz Development’s proposed Bluffton Gateway shopping center.

But the chairman of the committee, Brian Flewelling, said Tuesday the developer’s attorney needed more time to work out some minor changes involving common space and signage.

County records indicate the development is to be situated on nearly 66 acres and consist of 222,000 square feet of commercial retail space, although the size could grow to as much as 321,000 square feet.

“I think that’s an appropriate level of development,” said Flewelling.

“I don’t know that I would go any higher. When they asked for 321,00, I want to make it clear that’s not necessarily what they’d end up with. That’s an upper limit. They may end up 275,000 square feet.”

Bluffton Gateway, as planning documents refer to it, is expected to be open by late 2015 or early 2016.

Four parcels make up the site of the future shopping center at 34 Bluffton Rd. Owners named in county records are PAHH Development, S.C. Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), and Georgia McCulloch of Hilton Head Island.

PAHH’s land, the former Mister Label site, was in operation for 40 years. It’s estimated to be only 5 acres of the approximate 66 acres. The rest of the land was never developed.

The former Mister Label property was used for commercial printing, where toxic chemicals were used and stored.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is accepting public comments on the clean-up proposal by Jaz Development until Aug. 14. If the plan is approved, Jaz may apply for Voluntary Cleanup Activity Tax Credits.

As part of the pending contract, the developer would be required to follow various reporting requirements. For instance, Jaz would send the state information two years after completion that shows the project benefited the state and community.